Police claim 81 investigators on standby during martial law as precautionary measures

[Anchor]

A police official testified today (Dec. 23) at the National Assembly that during the emergency martial law, the Military Intelligence Command requested the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency to dispatch personnel and mentioned a "capture team."

In response to KBS's exclusive report that 81 investigators were on standby, the police explained that it was a precautionary measure for unexpected situations.

Reporter Kim Bo-dam reports.

[Report]

During the emergency martial law, the Military Intelligence Command deployed over 40 personnel to the National Assembly.

Although there have been ongoing suspicions that the purpose was to arrest politicians, the Intelligence Command has denied this.

However, today, a police official testified that they heard the word "arrest" from the Intelligence Command at the time.

[Lee Hyun-il/Head of Investigation Planning Division, National Police Agency: "The Intelligence Command requested, 'We are dispatching to the National Assembly with arrest personnel, but the scene is chaotic, so we need guidance personnel. Please provide a list of 5 names.'"]

Subsequently, a list of 10 detectives from the Yeongdeungpo Police Station's violent crimes unit was provided to the Intelligence Command.

The police clarified that they understood it as a "simple guidance role" and stated, "The list was not provided as a capture team."

It was also confirmed again that the Intelligence Command had requested the support of 100 investigators to form a joint investigation team with the National Investigation Headquarters after the declaration of martial law.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated that they prepared the list of investigators at the direction of the National Investigation Headquarters but did not provide it externally.

[Lim Kyung-woo/Head of Investigation Division, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency: "Since the National Investigation Headquarters did not clearly request specific roles from us... I told the team leader of the investigation team, 'Do not send that list to anyone, report only to me.'"]

The police also claimed that the 81 investigators on standby in the office during the martial law were a precautionary measure for unexpected situations at the National Assembly.

Woo Jong-soo, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, stated that he learned about the "investigators on standby" from the KBS report.

This is Kim Bo-dam from KBS News.